In a New York state of mind

An iconic NYC Subway Station - me, 1985

The start of 2025 (not 2026) planted a seed in my mind. I had to go back to the city that shaped me most, New York. The growing years between 1982 and 1987 were pivotal for me. I learnt more life lessons than I had earlier.

There was a different feel to going to a foreign land and then to a school in that foreign land. I believed I was familiar with the culture because I had grown up with smuggled episodes of Three's Company. That one show defined my feelings as a teenager growing up in India but aspiring to get to the USA. New York seemed familiar, like a well-worn glove. The school felt natural because my basic education was well grounded. At first I was chaperoned while living off-campus. But within a year I had to fend for myself. It was a time for a different set of life-lessons.

There was a cyclone that hit New York (I don't remember the exact year). I was stuck at home but luckily there was a friend of my father who was staying for a few days. He was a chef who taught me the basics of Indian cooking.

I am grateful to the many classmates who helped me fit-in. I don't remember the names of my professors but I recall the impression they left on me. There were bars to visit, friends to make, parties to attend and loads of learning about life. There was a particular fall when I fell violently ill. I lived alone at that time. A friend of mine (Susan) called and was horrified that I could hardly speak. She came across from Manhattan to care for me. She cleaned my home, made some food and stuck around until I was strong enough to go back to my life. This was friendship in its purest form, something I cherish till this day.

And somewhere I guess I want to reconnect to these memories by visiting the city, this time to stay there for a few days. The last time I was there was in 2013 and I stayed just for a couple of days. I want to remember what being a student was like, what it was being a part of the world's melting pot that opened its doors to so many.

There are miles to go before I sleep...